Clasp-brake



1. M. COLEMAN AND K. F. NYsRoM.

CLASP BRAKE.

APPLICATION FLLED 05026. w17.

1. M. COLEMAN AND K. F. NYSTR'OM.

CLASP BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1917.

1,385,607. Patented July 26, 1921.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 2.

/fWeW/ans James /Z Ca/ama/J Karl E Nys/F0,

'syrn'rss PATENT osrlcs.

JAMES M. COLEMAN AND KARL F.` NYS'IROM, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA..

CLASP-BRAKE.

1,385,600?, I l Specication of Letters '.Patent. Patented July 26, 1921.

Original application med May 31, 1917, Serial No. 1725130. Divided andthis application led December ze, 1917. serial No. 208,909.

To all whom Fm-ay concern.' p Fig. 5 is a perspective view, illustratingBe it known that we, JAMES M. COLEMAN, one of the brake` rod guidebrackets and a citizen of the United States, and KARL F. one of thebrake hanger 4guide brackets. NYsTRoM, a subject I(oftheKing of Sweden,j F 1g. 6 is a perspective viewfof the anchor 5 both residing at theIcity of Montreal, in the bracket showing the method of anchoring. 60Province of Quebec and Dominion of Can- Referring more particularly tothe drawada, have invented certain new and useful ings, 11 designatestransverse members ofl lmprovements in Clasp-Brakes, of which the truckframe, certain of which are down- -the following is a full, clear, andexact dewardly offset in theirv central portions for scription. reasonswhich do not concer-n the present 65 This invention relates toimprovements in application, and 12 the wheels.' Brake beams claspbrakes for railway car trucks, being a 13 are providedarranged in pairsfor each division from application Serial No. 17 2,130, pair of wheels.These beams are each profiled May 31, 1917, and the object of theinvided at each end with a brake head 142,

15- vention is to provide a clasp brake of great whlch carry brake shoes15 in the usual 70 simplicity of construction. manner. The brake beamsare suspended A further object is to provide as far as at the ends bylinks 16 which pass through possible for the use of exactly similarparts, the brake heads and are supported inbrackin order thatconstruction and maintenance etS 17 secured to the transverse truckframe 20 may be eiiected at a minimum cost. members. Each brake beam isin addition 75 still further object is to provide improvidedintermediate its ends with a balproved anchoring and adjusting means forance arm 18, which .is connected at its exthe brake, which willsubstantially eliminate tremity by a link 19 withfnJ balance springtampering therewith. 20 connected to the truck frame. These bal- Anotherobject is" to provide Suspension ance springs are uniform throughout the80 means for the bralfe beams, which will intruck\and are each bentintermediate their sure their movement substantially ina horiends sothat they may be attached in normal zontal plane when the brakes areapplied position to the straight frame members and or released. ininverted position to the offset frame memi Broadly speaking theinvention consists bers and have their free ends all in the same 85 of aseries of suitable brake beams carrying horizontal plane and all thesame distance the brake heads. Each of these beams is above the brakebeams. It will be clearly provided with a double suspension, so deseenin Figs. 2 and 3 that the suspension signed that the beam travelssubstantially links 16 and balance links 19 are arranged in a horizontalplane. Release springs are at a slight incline to the vertical, and are90 provided to normally hold the shoes away also slightly out ofparallel, and further, from the wheels. A system of links and that thepivotal points of the suspension levers is provided connecting all thebrake links are on higher horizontal planes than beams, and is. soarrangedsthat the braking corresponding pivotal points of the balance 40force is distributed uniformly between all llnks. This disposition,combined with the `-95 the/brake shoes of the truck. dimensions of thelinks, is such that the lin the drawings which illustrate the inbrakebeams will travel in a substantially ventionshorizontal plane instead ofin a curved Figure 1 is a plan view ofa truck equipped plane, as isordinaril the case. 1t willv with brakes according to the presentinvenfurther be seen that the double suspension 100 tion, certain of theelements being omitted holds the brake beams rigidly againstrotatorclearness. ing about their longitudinal axes. These Fig. 2 shows`on the left an elevation, and seemingly trivial points are of greatimon the right a central longitudinal section portance in thesatisfactory operation ofvv of a truck showing the arrangement oli thebrakes. When brakerbeams travel in 105 brake gear. curved planes, itfollows that the shoes are Fig. Sis an enlargementof the brake geartilted as they wear, and also that very freshown in the right handportion of Fi 2. quently, the shoes do not press squarelyl Flg. 4 is aperspective view of one o the against the wheels, thus causinga slightrorelease springs and its mounting. tation of the brake beam on its axiswith 110 beams is responsible for the uneven wear of brake shoes. Theresult may be described as follows z-A new shoe on insertion touches thewheel at its up-per end first, and consequently the greatest wear is atthis point. As the shoe wears, a full bearing surface on the wheel isobtained. Further wear necessitates further movement of the brake beamand its arcuate movement finally presents the shoe, so that its lowerend touches the wheel first and wear is now greater at this point. Itfrequently happens that during the entire life of a shoe, the wear isgreater at one end than at the other. By causing the brake shoe to movein a horizontal plane, as is done according to the present invention,the heads may be adjusted to present a shoe squarely to the wheel, andthis condition will obtain as long as the shoe is in use. Anotherdisadvantage of the arcuately moving brake beam is the varying brakingeffect produced at different periods of the shoes life. According to thepresent invention, the braking effect will ble uniform throughout theentire life of the s oe.

i- In order to normally hold the shoes out of contact with the Wheels, arelease spring 21 is located near each end of each brake beam. Thesesprings are C-shaped, one( extremity of each being connected to atransverse frame member and the other extremity to the brake beamdirectly or through themedium of 'a bracket 22. One extremity at leastof each spring is provided with a series of apertures 23, so that itspoint of connection may be varied according to the tension desired. Thesprings are uniform throughout the truck, those connected to thestraight frame lmembers being connected directly to brake beams, andthose connected to the offset frame members being connected to the brakebeams by means of the brackets 22. I

The brake beams are moved in the horizontal plane previously referred toby means of a mechanlsrn which distributes the braking force uniformlybetween all the shoes. Tp this end, force applying mechanism isdls'posed at each side of the truck,.so as to connect with the brakebeams close to the brake heads. Themechanisms on each side of the truckare connected by an evener 24, which receives the braking force througha 11nk 25 connected in the center of the evener.

f The force applying mechanism on each side of the "truck comprises aseries of levers 26 and la series of links 27 and 28, together withspecial terminal links 29 and 30; The

levers 26 are each connected at the lower extremity to a brake beam bymeans' of suitable brackets 31. These levers are arranged pairs foreach' wheel, as clearly shown,

is formed into an eye 32 for attachment to the evener, this eye beinghorizontally disposed. This link 29 is supported in the truck and guidedby a bracket 33 shown in Fig. 5, which is provided with a verticalelongated eye 34, through which th-e link 29 passes. This arrangement isfor a two-fold purpose,irst,it permits vertical play of the link asthewheels move in the truck, and secondly, it necessitates the link 29being inserted through the bracket with its eye 32 in vertical position,and then turn-ed on its axis, and subsequently connected to the lever26. It will thus be seen that the eye 32 holds the link 29 againstdisconnection from the bracket. The brackets which support the linksalso obviously give support to the evener 24.

The anchor link 30 at the opposite end ofy each series is the point atwhich adjustment is made to provide for uniform movement of the systemsat opposite sides of the truck. In order to revent this adjustment beingtampered wit the link which is threadedon its free end is passed throughan anchor casting 35, and is provided with a U-shaped nut 36, whichembraces the anchor casting and is thus held from turning on the llink.

The only way in which adjustment can be made is to disconnect the linkfrom the end lever of the series to which it is attached This entailssuch an same functions in different portions of the truck have been madeexactly similar. For example, the twelve levers 26 are exactly alike,also the six links 28. The twelve return springs are alike,Ithedifferent conditions of their use being provided for by means ofeight exactly similar brackets. The construction offers sufiicientobstacle to practically-preclude tampering with the adjustment of thebrakes, and at the same time 1s sufficiently simple, so that it may beeasily adjusted by those properly authorized. It will be noted that thepivots which must be removed for these adjustments are readilyaccessible. The series of apertures in the return springs permitsindividual adjustment to allow for variations in temper and the like,and permit the resistance to the braking force to be regulated toabsolute unitormity throughout the truck, which uniformity is extremelyimportant in a clasp brake. The arrangement of the links 29 has theadditional Aadvantage that each truck is a complete unit in itself, andcan be removed from a car by simply disconnecting the evener Jfrom thelink 25.

While the invention has been shown and described as applied to asix-wheel truck, it will beI obvious that it may be applied equally wellto a truck having a greater or lesser number of wheels.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. ln a brake gearfor use in trucks having transverse frame members at dierent heights,balance springs bent intermediate their ends whereby they may beattached in normal position to the upper level frame members or ininverted position to the lowen level frame members, while maintainingthe tree extremity ina single horizontal plane.

2. ln a brake gear for use in a truck having frame members on diii'erenthorizontal planes, brake beam balance springs arranged at a. commoninclination such' that the free extremities of those attached to theupper :trame members and those attached to the lower frame members liein the same horizontal plane.

3. For use in a truck having frame members on two horizontal planes,abrake gear, including brake beams, suspension means therefor, balancearms fixed to the brake beams and extending in the plane ot the brakebeams, balance springs connected to the upper and lower frame members,and links of unitormklength connecting said balance springs with thebalance arms..

4. For use in a lower frame members, a brake gear, including brakebeams, and release springs, said springs being each connected at one endto a frame member, and at the opposite end to a brake beam', and fillersinterposed between thc brake beams. and those release sbprings connectedto the lower trame memers.

5. A brake gear according to claim 7, in which each of the releasesprings is provided at the end connected to the brake beam with a seriesor attaching apertures whereby the springs may be adjusted so that allhave equal tension.

6. ln a clasp brakev gear the combination truck having upper and' with atruck trame and brake beams of brackets secured to the-truck frameuniform distances above the brake beams, brake ,beam hangers supportedby said brackets with their free ends all in the same horizontal plane,balance springs each connected at one end to the truck frame and havingtheir free ends in the same horizontal plane, balance arms of equallength connected to the -brake beams and located in a single horizontalplane, links connecting the balance springs and balance arms, releasesprings connected to the brake beam and connected at different levelsftothe truck frame and fillers between the brake beams and those releasesprings 'connected to the truck frame at the lower levels whereby saidparts may bg of uniformdimensions and interchangea le.

7 A clasp brake gear including a system of force applying levers and.links and means arranged to hold the entire system in operative relationto the truck carrying it during separation of such truck from a car.

8. A clasp brake gear comprising brake beams, and a series of operatinglinks and levers therefor including an actuating link, and an anchorlink, designed to pass through the end trame oi a truck, and a U shapednut on the anchor link embracing the truck end frame and holding thegear to the truck against the eect of the operating force.

9. A clasp brake gear comprising `brake beams, and a series of operatinglinks and levers thereforv including an actuating link, a guide memberfor the actuating link having a vertically disposed slot for the passageof the link, and an e said actuating link dispo-sed in a horizontalplane, and normally holding the link against withdrawal from' itssupporting bracket and limiting the releasing movement of the gear. i

10. ln aclasp brake gear, the combination with a pair of wheels, of abrake beam on each side ot the axis of said wheels, brake heads on ysaidbrake beams, double suspension means for each of said brake beams,comprising a pair of hangers connected to the brake heads and a hangerconnected directly to the/ beam and torce applying means connected tothe brake beams adjacent each end thereof.

l1.. in a 'clasp brake gear, the combination with a pair of wheels, of apair of brake beams arranged one on each side of the wheel air axis, athree point suspensionfor each o said beams holding the same againstmovement in anrarcuate path, and torcel applyingmechanism connected toeach end of each beam 12.' lin a brake, the combination of levers andpull rods, one complete set of which is located at each side of a truck,a beam or bar connecting the two sets oit riggings and a e on theextremity ofl support for said rigging located intermediate the lengthof said bar.

13. In a brake, `the combination of brake levers and connecting rods,one complete set of which is located at each side of a truck, wherebysaid levers are connected and apply their force at a point close to thebrake shoes, beams or bars connecting the riggings ron opposite sides onthe truck, and supporting elements connectedto said beams at a poi-ntinterme iate their ends and located substantially as described.

14.*In a brake arrangement, the combination of heads carrying shoes, abrake bar connecting adjacent heads, a brake rigging located at eachside of the truck and connected to said brake bars at a point close tosaid head, and supporting means for said riggings and bars applieddirectly to said bars at a point substantially on the longitudinalcenter line of the truck, substantially as described.

15. In a brake, the combination of brake heads and shoes applied to bothsides of each pair of wheels, a brake bar connecting said heads, .andabrake rigging at each side of said truck, the brake levers of whichrigging are connected to said brake bars at a point close to said brakeheads, the brake levers at an eXtreme end of the truck, being anchoredto the truck, whereby the pull is from the opposite end of the truck,guiding i ing-means applied to said brake bars, sub` means applied tosaid riggings and supportstantially as described. I

16. In a' brake rigging, the combination of beams, brake heads carriedadjacent the extremities thereof, suspension links for I movablyconnecting the heads to truck portions, members mounted on the beamsintermediate. the heads, supporting members carried` by truck portionsand associated with the first mentioned members to aHord supporting andpath determining means for the beams, and power transmitting devicessupported' by the beams at points intermediate the heads and the firstmentioned members. i

.the first mentioned members.

18. In a brake rigging, the combination of beams, brake heads carriedadjacent the extremities thereof, power transmitting devices operativelyassociated with the beams adjacent the heads, suspension members foroperablyx connecting the heads to truck portions, and supporting memberssustained by a truck portion and movably associated with the beams, saidsupporting members having connection with the beams to providesupporting and path determining means for the beams. s

19. In a brake rigging the combination with beam members, of brake heads.carried adjacent the extremities thereof, suspension members foroperably connecting the heads to truck portions, power transmittingmembers operably associated with the beams adjacent the heads,resilienhmembers having support upon truck portions, and means carriedby the beams spaced on the beams fronnthe power transmitting membersoperably associated with said resilient members to provide supportingand path deter mining means for the beams.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JAMES M. COLEMAN. KARLF. NYSTROM.

Witnesses:

D. R. W. ALLEN, G. N. MORELAND.

